Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 551 to 575 of 4999 results

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , our sense of justice, our vindictiveness, and our judgements, even our own guilt, and allow Him to welcome us back into relationship with Him. Jesus is a Big Spender. He is excited and yearning to spend and expend the most amazing grace and love upon us in every kind of way. All we need is to realize, repent, return. Come home. Jesus issues every one of us an invitation to His heavenly Feast. Which of you will enter in? Will you enter in even if you see your enemy sitting there beside Him? Or will you be ...

552. Living a Jesus Powered Life

Genesis 9:1-17, Genesis 6:1-8:22, Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.” So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his ...

553. Serpentine Soul

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the reminder that God is in control, and that God the great shepherd is leading them into life, but the snake itself is a reminder that sin can bite the heel of the most loyal follower. Sin comes in all forms. It doesn’t have to be the kind of sin impulse that leads to killing or maiming or adultery or stealing. Sometimes, sin simply means, being distracted from what God is doing in your life, and not trusting God to lead you through the hardships you are facing. That lack of trust causes us to complain ...

554. A Supernatural Leap

Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... coincides with the Holy Spirit coming upon Elizabeth in a way that provokes her to prophesy about Mary’s child. The Hebrew word is eskirtese from skirtao meaning to struggle, skip, leap, or frisk about. But there is also a supernatural divine origin to the kind of leaping suggested. Just as the word is used in Genesis (25:22) as Rebekka’s children struggled together within her, here the baby John (whom we are told earlier is already immersed in the Holy Spirit in the womb), exhibits an unusually lithe ...

555. Now, It's Personal

Matthew 5:21-37

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... is married. It’s just how we do it in this part of the country. Everyone knows that.” But, being a generous and understanding kind of guy, Laban said, “I tell you what. You go ahead and take a week of honeymoon with Leah and when you get back ... to go on the trip because she couldn’t ride any ride that went round-and-round, upside down, or up and down. Those kinds of rides, she said, made her sick. Well, those descriptions — round-and-round, upside down, or up and down — covered about 85% of the ...

556. And a Child Will Lead Them

Exodus 2:1-10, Matthew 18:1-9, Matthew 18:10-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... those who are sidelined by those in power. God is interested in the voices of the voiceless and the uncovering of those hidden. Like diamonds in the rough, Jesus identifies children as our most valued resource. And God’s best example of what it means to be the kind of human being God created us to be. God is interested not just in saving but in elevating and resourcing children. Think about the scriptures for a moment. How many stories can you think of in which God calls a child to lead the way of errant ...

557. Look At Your Fixations!

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Carl Jech

... very nature destructive. Others could be either good or bad depending on how they affect or are integrated into the rest of our life. The excitement of meeting the Pope could inspire a life of faith, service and devotion; or it could turn one into the kind of religious fanatic who, like some people I have met, "think religion" (or religious art, or music, or ?) twenty-four hours a day. It was Martin Luther who said, "God is interested in a lot of things besides religion." The injustice of an unfair eviction ...

558. The Art of Critique

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... are sick and tired of being “sick and tired!” The more cooped up we feel, the angrier we get. And our often kind and calm demeanor is turning testier and more critical. As humans, when our surroundings and our world is rocked, when we feel ... to trust him, to open up to him, to let him guide us in our efforts, so that we too can learn the relational art of critique, the kind that leads to change and healing, peace and humanity. Jesus came not just to tell people what to do and how to live, but how to feel ...

559. The Rabbi's Apprentice

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... telling them that the Jewish purity laws, laws that require you to wash your hands before a meal, only to eat certain foods, to be careful about what goes into your mouth at certain times, are man-made laws and not God’s concern. Eating a certain kind of food is not going to contaminate you in the eyes of God. Obviously, Jesus is making some pretty strong enemies of the Pharisees, the monitors of the purity laws, as he’s saying this. But he goes on. Then he tells them, what truly contaminates a person ...

560. Where Is He?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... it? That we can’t see Jesus but know He’s there is a comfort for some, and a fear to others! Remember in the scriptures when Jesus comes to heal and exorcise demons? They recognize Him immediately and start to tremble. Never underestimate the power of love, kindness, salvation, and mercy. Evil and sin fear the presence of Jesus. In our lives today, often, we lament that we cannot see Jesus, and we wonder if He is really there. Look for trouble in the world, and you will find Jesus. You will know Him by ...

561. When God Is Quiet

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... fingers over your eyes, terrified out of your wits? Those are moments when, no matter how strong your faith, your mind is focused on only one thing: fear. Once our bodies hit the panic button, our inner alarms go off, and we are on high alert. This kind of stress happens today to many people who have suffered through trauma, those with some form of PTSD (which by the way you can have without ever having gone to war, as we now know that many trauma survivors suffer these same or similar symptoms), or those ...

562. Promises to Keep

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... each other. As anyone who has seen more than a few episodes of “Dallas” or “The Guiding Light” can tell you, this was a bad idea. Antipas’ wife heard about the plan and, knowing that the Herod men had, in the past, practiced a kind of divorce that involved having their wives accused of treason and then having them executed, she fled to her father, Aretas, king of Nabatea, who could not countenance such an insult to his daughter and vowed revenge against Antipas, a story that is also fascinating ...

563. One Life-Changing Word

Isaiah 9:2-7 · Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Sermon

King Duncan

... to an end. Instead of seeking fame, power and wealth the people of the world seek to serve one another. Love, kindness and generosity become more important than greed or success. In short, the perfect society emerges—a society of brotherhood in which ... the dignity of every human being is honored. (4) The prophet Isaiah looked forward to that kind of day when, in his words, “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and ...

564. Seeing Is Believing

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... If you are here in the room, call out your description. To answer this question, most of you will no doubt describe Jesus’ features. He is tall. He has a beard. He has large hands from working with brick and wood. Maybe they are rough. He has brown eyes, perhaps kind eyes. Now I want you to close your eyes for a moment. I want you to picture Jesus with you.What do you see now when you see Jesus? Most of you with your eyes closed will not describe Jesus from merely your naked eyesight. But most of you will ...

565. By D Grace of God

Luke 6:27-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... your capacity for making wise decisions. Instead, Jesus makes things simple for us. He takes away all our options. Hate, judgment, retaliation, revenge—those are no longer options for followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus leaves us with only one choice—love. So, what would this kind of love look like in real life? And how could it change your life story? The first thing we learn from this passage is that Jesus calls us to a courageous love. In May 2021, a sixth-grade girl walked into her middle school in ...

566. Constant Companion

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... connection and thirsty for love. Jesus knows what it means to be human. God knows what we need. And what we need most in our lives, our healing source and wellness recipe, is God, an intimate and meaningful relationship with our Lord and creator. From this kind of spiritual wellness comes peace, true peace. I want all of us today to take a moment, close our eyes, and just still our souls. Feel the Holy Spirit’s presence around you and within you stilling your worries and stress and filling you with the ...

567. Graciousness and Grumbling

Matthew 20:1-15

Sermon

Will Willimon

... get by to keep us conscientious ones wondering: What if Jesus was right when he noted that God “makes his rain to fall upon the heads of the good and the bad and his sun to shine on the just and unjust''? ·What if Paul really means that “God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish”? Studs Terkel once noted that the typical American attitude is, “I've got it made because I deserve it. And if you don't have it made, you don't deserve it.” Then he says, “When things don't work that way, as has ...

568. What Fills Your Life Now?

Acts 7:55-60

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... , who died of COVID-19 in January, 2021. Due to quarantine restrictions, the sisters could not visit him in the hospital in his last days. After his death, his last message to his family was found scrawled by his bedside: it has been such a good life. What kind of man leaves a legacy like that? In an interview, Abrielle said, “He made everyone feel loved and he saw the good in everyone. I really take that with me in my life.” Anna agreed, saying, “If we can just be even a portion of the person he ...

569. Master Teacher

Matthew 15:10-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” In other words, Jesus speaks now also of the purity laws governing food. It doesn’t matter what you eat. What goes inside of you isn’t the point. It matters what emerges from your heart –the kindness you show, the openness you reveal, the inclusiveness you practice, the love you share with others, the loyalty you have to God. Purity laws are laws created by a bureaucratic religious system for means of control. True faith only needs to follow God’s law ...

570. Avoiding the “F” Word

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... western culture, we’re taught some lessons that help us tremendously in our relationships. But unfortunately, we’re also unconsciously imbued with some that don’t help us very much. They may not be as overt as what words are best to use, but they are the kinds of subliminal messages that seep into our minds and play havoc with our relationships all the same. One of those messages comes from deep inside of us and tells us when we are feeling angry and resentful that we must at all costs avoid this “F ...

571. Fever!

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... we are, our time on earth, and how we spend that time. It also created within us, as a people, an existential fear and anxiety that has taken years to begin to dissipate. In a sense, our culture has suffered from a kind of “feverish” uncertainty –a restlessness of mind and spirit that has caused major upheavals within jobs, homes, churches, and relationships. When you feel anxious on a “soul level,” everything in life can feel ephemeral, unstable, unsure, and troubled. In contemplating what felt ...

572. Living Bread

John 6:51-58

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , sugar, and carbs! One of the key troublemakers in our guts? Yeast! Yes! That busy little microbe that makes bread, donuts, and pretzels taste SO good! Not to mention wine and beer! Gasp! Yeast, officially called Saccharomyces cerevisiae are members of the fungus family! Kind of makes you lose your appetite when you think of it that way, doesn’t it? They are right up there with molds and mushrooms! Hardy little critters! And prolific too! As most mold is! With over 1,500 species, yeast has existed for ...

573. Strength for The Journey

John 16:12-15

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... the more correct and appropriate translation, “Spirit.” In this case, we are talking about a holy spirit, indeed, the Holy Spirit. So, how shall we speak of this Holy Spirit? Talk About Spirit Let us speak first of spirits in general, those of the not-so-holy kind. No, no I’m not speaking of ghosts or haunts. I thought we left that behind. Please, try to keep up. Rather, I’m speaking of the spirits we speak of and accept as not just harmless but benevolent, even good on a near daily basis — spirit ...

574. As a Fire Exists by Burning

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... news and were called to spread that good news to the whole world. Spread it first in our families, then in our communities, then our regions, and beyond. Maybe even to West Virginia. We do so through words, yes, telling our stories, but through acts also ― acts of kindness, of generosity, of compassion, and care. We do so through hospitality, how we offer it to others, and how we receive it when it is offered to us. May God grant us all the grace to make a faithful witness to the grace and love of Jesus ...

575. Learning to Lean

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... goes far beyond what we understand in our world and yet a God who invests deeply in each and every one of us. This small, yet important, piece of teaching that Luke introduces to us regarding the manner in which we should pray helps us to understand the kind of relationship with God that Jesus imagines for all of us – a deeply personal encounter, in which every one of us is treated as a cherished son or daughter of God. For all of us, God is a “good parent.” Unlike human beings with flaws and selfish ...

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